少数派。

Welcome to my first post ever on 少数派。(Read: Shō-sū-ha) 

For those of you who know me from SJ Barnard, another warm welcome & thank you for joining me on a new journey as I start a new blog. And for newcomers, again, thank you. Your readership makes this blog possible.

Since my About page goes into detail about who I am & the sort of things I’m interested in, I thought I’d share the story behind the blog’s name and why it’s in Japanese. 

WHY 少数派?

The word 少数派 means “minority”. I took a break from blogging about a month ago. During that time, I got a chance to reassess where I was and what I wanted to talk about–which was no longer simply focused on reading and writing. As a blasian, Christian, homeschool graduate who spent most of her life in Tokyo, Japan, now living in Vancouver, Canada, I’ve been struggling with the word “minority”. I was a minority living in Tokyo, but because of the diverse environment and the kind community around me, I never really thought of myself that way. But since moving here, I’ve become much more aware of being a “minority”–and how even in this category, I didn’t fit in. 

This world’s perspectives

By this world’s standards, I was an ethnic minority. Because of my family’s financial circumstances and my parent’s education level, I was “less privileged”. In churches, homeschoolers were rare–and contrary to Japanese homeschoolers, it seemed many were doing it only for academics and not for faith. I scared away my peers whenever I tried to discuss my favourite prophets. (FYI, it’s a close tie between Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Micah.) The excessive labelling of gender, ethnicity, and beliefs closed me up–I didn’t want to talk to people about what I actually thought. My “normal” was never other people’s “normal”.  I started to think, Maybe I’m the crazy one here.

Biblical perspectives.

But during the pandemic, many things changed. I ended up giving up the academic dream I’ve had since twelve. I cried a lot, went on long walks, and faced my depression. 

Then I started to meet other “crazy” people. I decided to take the leap of faith and talk about things that mattered to me. I began to spend more time with my family instead of closing up inside myself. 

And through praying and reading His Word, I realised–His grace is sufficient for me. It’s more than enough. God’s grace is overflowing, giving me new life every day. I stopped measuring myself as a “minority” by this world’s standards. And you know, thinking about it, we’re supposed to “not conform to this world” in the first place!

…Hence, this blog. 

So, I realised it was okay to be a minority. Even though I have a wide range of interests, some of them would converge with other people’s. And that’s where we can talk. I love what former prime minister Shinzo Abe said on the matter. He said we shouldn’t focus on our differences but on our similarities. 

I’m a sinner, saved by grace. I’m a first-generation Japanese Canadian. (And my grandfather is from Barbados.) I’m trying to learn Latin, Hebrew, and Swedish (though not in that order). I like old books as well as some new ones. I tend to dislike the label “Christian books”. Classic things from music to art to books “spark joy” inside me. I love manga and anime. I enjoy theologically/philosophically challenging discussions. The book of Ecclesiastes, Jeremiah, and Lamentations always cheers me up. (FYI, my mom’s comfort Bible books are Genesis, Exodus, and Deuteronomy.) I’m an Arts student who also enjoys STEM. And this is only the tip of the iceberg. 

Maybe you like milk chocolate. I like dark chocolate (at least over 75%), but we can still be friends! And that’s the kind of place I want 少数派。to be. 

Thank you for reading! Let me know your thoughts & reflections in the comments below; I’d love to chat with you.